Everyone has a goal
by Akatsuli Fate Chan
Summary: '"I'm not allowed to kill anyone, or lead people astray for the duration of the exam, which is why you're alive, despite being competition."' - 'She understood punishment just fine and since the butler had earned it, who was she to disobey' 'She hugged her idiotic little selfish cousin, muttering to herself darkly about "manipulative little brats."' Three woman. Three goals.
1. A childhood of sin

A/N Do not own Hunter X Hunter

Chapter one; A series of childhood events.

"High high," Lucante pouted, cajoling eyes looking up at her stoic big brother. Illumi decisively ignored his little sister, tapping away on his mobile phone. Of course, considering it was Illumi, he was doing something far more important than sending messages to any friends he might have. Nevertheless, Lucante narrowed her eyes. "You have to," she sharply bit out, "You have to play with me." And the stubborn little look on her face showed her honest confidence in this. With only the curl of his lips showing his satisfaction, Illumi pressed one. Now, more than a hundred miles away, a gas explosion occured inside a housing sector. He was rid of his target, and it would probably be seen as an accidental explosion as well. Job well done. "Hmm?" he was distracted by the pawing of her little sister on his slacks, "You have to play with me," she repeated steely to which he sighed, before he dropped to a crouch, smoothing the fly away hairs on her head. "Lucante," he said, ensuring she heard the warning in his voice, "Big brother is very busy. You don't want to inconvenience your brother, do you?" she frantically shook her head. Bothering her beloved brother was something she just didn't do!

"Well then," he continued with a small push on her back, "Go and stop inconveniencing me. I'm sure KIllua doesn't have anything important to do today." Lucante glared at the floor, hand absently playing with a string that had gotten loose of her button up shirt. She didn't like Killua. "Fine," she bit out, and morosely swayed away from her older brother and the lounge room in search for Killua. She found him outside, playing with her younger sister, Alluka. That was the natural order of things. He wasn't often seen far away from her. In fact, as far as Lucante could remember, the only interruptions in the natural way of things were if he had an mission to do. Then Alluka was left with the intendants who protected the house and grounds connected to the house. Lucante couldn't remember a time when she'd interacted with Alluka outside of small talk. She usually kept to Milluki and Illumi.

Alluka was the first to notice her approach, looking just quite surprised, before a grin cloaked her face and she waved, turning Killua's attention on her. "Huh. Lucante," he mused to himself, before following Alluka's example and welcomed her with a smile. "So," Lucante asked, feeling rather awkward as she twisted her hands behind her back, "Er. . . Can I hang out with you two? For an hour or so? Maybe?" She shifted her weight awkwardly from foot to foot. It looked like she badly had to go to the toilet. Alluka giggled in a carefree manner, "Sure!"

They played games unlike those she would usually do with Milluki, or Illumi. WIth Illumi the games where usually training centred, and she mostly talked about or watched anime with Milluki. But now, with Alluka and Killua, was when she ended up getting to know true children games like hide and seek, tag, and simply acting like a child without needing to keep herself dignified and in control. Soon, Lucante was laughing as her hands were taking, Killua and Alluka at her side, and they simply twirled and twirled and made themselves excessively dizzy. It was fun, as her eyes where opened to what she had been missing all this time. Acting without emotional restraint, with abandonment, was fun! Eventually all three sat down out of a silent agreement and simply watched the clouds. "That one looks like an anime figurine," Lucante giggled light heartedly. Her fingers where entwined with Alluka's and from Alluka's other side sat Killua. Alluka let out a drawn out, satisfied sigh, a lazy grin curling up on her full lips. "Mmm! It does!" she pointed out.

As always, however, their enjoyment was to be caught short. A shadow spread over the open field, until finally it covered the trio. Lucante blinked, "Illumi?" and Killua was already detaching himself from Alluka, standing up. He followed after Illumi, without even one glance back at his sisters. "He's going on a mission," Alluka told her nonchalantly, as if it where normal. She continued gesturing at the clouds, "That one's an octopus," but Lucante was distracted, half a mind still focused on the fact that Killua, young as he was, was already being sent on missions. She wasn't even, and she was older by two years! Lucante stood up, as she decided she'd take her questions to Silva. Surely father would be able to answer her? Alluka sent her back an inquiring look, but decided she was too drowsy to follow after. But when she arrived at father's office, he wasn't there. She sulked for about one minute before deciding to go pester Milluki.

The next day, Illumi and Killua where back. Killua brushed past her as she walked in the corridors, slamming the door shut behind him once he'd found his room. She quirked an eyebrow at his tetchy attitude but soon lost interest, beginning to eye Illumi with interest. He didn't sweep past her, like she half expected. Instead, he beckoned her and with a vibrant smile she skipped over and followed him towards where the dungeons where located. There, a man was tied up. It was a butler, someone she could recognise from face. Lucante, not understanding, looked imploringly at Illumi. He wasn't looking at her, so didn't notice. Instead, he circled the man strapped to the chair. He then proceeded to explain what they where there for.

"He's a traitor?" Lucante asked, for confirmations' sake, even as she watched the man with intense, questioning eyes. "Yes," Illumi confirmed as he grabbed the box of tools from the shelf carved out of the wall. He handed her three different kinds of tools and patiently watched her inspect them. Once she was done, she carefully looked up. "What are these for?" she questioned, and shifted her weight from foot to foot. There was a nervous energy in the air, and it was making her antsy. "As a traitor, he has to be dealt with; but only after he's been suitably punished for what he's done to our family." Lucante made a sound in comprehension. She understood punishment just fine and since the butler had earned it, who was she to disobey?

Her grasp tightened around one of the hooks, as she quietly stashed the other tools away, before she approached the traitor strapped in the chair. The butler's eyes widened, and he looked at her like he was trying to appeal to her sense of mercy. But Lucante knew all about punishment, and had been made convinced that it was something righteous, as otherwise, she'd begin to resent her family or believe they resented her. She didn't want to believe they resented her, so there'd been only one option left. She raised her tool to the man's face, cocking her head to her side as her eyes gleamed thoughtfully. Punishment was something to teach her a lesson, so she should teach the butler a lesson. And treachery was a bad deed indeed, so it had to be one that would stick. Comprehension dawned, and with a happy twist of her lips at her own smartness, she brought the hook towards the man's eye. That's when he screamed in earnest.

Eventually, Lucante was stopped from continuing punishing the traitor righteously by her brother. "He's unconscious," he said conversationally. "Now, you have to get rid of him." She tilted her head as she looked at him imploringly. Get rid of? "Like the servants getting rid of the pests in the house," he explained, "If they exist without a purpose, extermination is key." Lucante, understanding what he meant, returned her gaze on the traitor. He had once been with a purpose; he'd been a butler, but as a traitor, he'd forsaken his purpose. Everything without purpose was to be exterminated. She gave an acquisitive nod towards Illumi. Hours later, she scrubbed futilely at her hands and the crusted red beneath her finger nails.

Silva, Lucante's father, had brought her to the strange tower building. He'd brought Killua with him as well. With only a hand full of instructions, the two of them were left alone with only the other as company. They'd already been checked in, though, which made things easier. The Heaven's Arena was what it said on the tin; an arena. There were two hundred floors. Silva had told them they'd have to reach the upper most floor, and only then were they allowed to return back home. "But what about money?" it suddenly occurred to Lucante once Silva was long gone. Killua, meanwhile, was already looking around the first floor and assessing their opponents. "We're homeless, Kill," Lucante stated, exasperated that he was too naive to understand their circumstances.

She supposed, considering he was the baby of the family and everyone spoiled him, it did kind of make sense. It probably didn't occur to him that they'd honestly been kicked out of the mansion until they could make needs met by themselves and reach the two hundred's floor. He probably thought he could call home anytime he wanted and they'd gladly take him back in.

Pfffft. As if. That was way too optimistic. Lucante knew most of all that her family was anything but forgiving. Not that long ago, she had been on her way to becoming just like them. It was only through the intervention of the twin servants who had become her personal maids that she'd been saved from that faith. Punishment, no matter what her family said, was not justifiable. It was not righteous. It was everything but. In all honestly, it was still quite difficult to get her head wrapped round how much her family had screwed her up in irreparable ways. Her morality would always be skewed, and she'd probably always consider dealing out punishment as her first instinct towards anything she felt had wronged her.

But at least the intervention had succeeded in allowing her the patience to cool her head and think on whether or not any punishment was warranted, usually coming to the conclusion that it was not. Nevertheless, she felt it necessary to hide the changes to her person from Illumi. Milluki was safe, but Illumi would probably attempt to revert her back to the mindless torturer in the making that she had been. Mother wouldn't care, Father was alright as long as she carried out her missions correctly and grandpa didn't pay her much attention at all. So yes, it was only Illumi who was the threat there.

"I'll be fighting first," Killua said, snapping her back to attention. He looked eager, but then, he was usually the one defeated after a fight with one of their relatives. Now, he had at least a chance of tasting victory instead. Rolling her eyes, Lucante mockingly waved a hand at the platform. "Sure, be my guest." But, as it soon turned out, they were allotted specific times to fight, so he had to wait a whole half an hour. It was Lucante's fight first. She found herself in the ring with a tall but limber man before her. She trailed assessing eyes over him, feeling his calculative gaze in return. Finally, she made the first move.

She charged him; a feint. As he kicked out at her, since she was quite a bit smaller from him, she swivelled past his kick and delivered to him a punch of her own. It didn't have a lot of strength behind it (Her tutors mainly focused on her accuracy) but it did have a savage elegance to it as she aimed quite purposefully at the man's kidney. It was natural that he would bend low, winded. She took the opportunity to hit him with an uppercut, but he managed to regain his composure and very easily block her first before it could reach him. He twisted her wrist and then let go, and she winched but rolled to the side, avoiding a slash of a knife aimed at her hip. It continued on like that, before the man managed to earn ten points while Lucante had only gotten six. Still quite a lot for a first timer, but not enough. When she checked for her reward at reception, she was given an envelope. She was disquiet to realize that there was only enough to buy a drink in. Yes, the both of them were indeed in deep trouble. She just hoped Killua would win his battle. They'd probably get more money from a victory than a defeat.

Ten minutes later and she slowly massaged her temples as the stress accumulated. He didn't win - he'd done even worse than her, which made sense - he was two years younger than her and as such, much less experienced. Well, at least they wouldn't die from dehydration. After about an hour of recuperation, the two of them were called to fight again. This time Killua went first, and his opponent was a particularly flexible woman. The fight dragged on for ages, as she avoided him with expertise while he tried, in naught, to touch her. Eventually, it was the red haired child's win, who fist pumped the air thereafter. The guards had to hold Killua back from pummelling her.

Lucante shook her head. When he'd lost from the boy before, he'd accepted his loss graciously. But when it was this red head, he'd decided to lose his temper. Not much of a gentleman, was he? She decided it was the girl's young age that irritated him and made him lash out. Back home, it had been made obvious that anyone older than him was to be respected - even Milluki, in a way, who was someone that disgusted Killua. The girl was younger than him, and had obviously disrespected him through her actions - rubbing her victory in his face. She was up next, but this time she managed to win through dodging any and all hits coming her way, taking her cues from the flexible red head.


	2. A destined meeting

A/n do not own.

Chapter two; A destined meeting.

"Gon. . . is very selfish," Izumi mused as she swept her broom over the pavement. Mito was inside the building at the side of where she was sweeping. A chilling wind sweeped across the narrow street, strands of her short hair moving with it. Nobody else was around outside. Nevertheless, Izumi felt perfectly content where she was, alone. Musing to herself upon the mysteries of life. The personality of Gon was one such mystery. It almost seemed like people didn't notice how truly selfish he was because of his natural charisma.

There was something pure about his selfishness also. He did what he wanted, whenever he wanted. In his selfishness, he took advantage of what was given to him. But the truth was, that he didn't search for it. He often didn't think at all about such silly things as morals. None of it was important. Because of this, maybe because he didn't judge, maybe for that reason people were attracted to him. Because he didn't hold such pesky things like morals, he did what he wanted, when he wanted, and didn't get angry or start corrupting his surroundings.

Because he didn't understand what morals where, he didn't have the means to know that sometimes ignoring that pesky conscience one has brings one immense satisfaction. There were many people over the world who hurt themselves and others for that feeling of rebelious satisfaction. Gon was pure, in such a way. Definitely determined.

With a pensive frown, Izumi placed the broom back against the door of the building. There was no way to correctly catagorise Gon, except to call him selfish. This was the way, Izumi decided, she would explain those who'd been victims of Gon selfishness. "Izumi!" Mother's, or Mito's voice addressed from the kitchen. "Coming!" Izumi yelled back, before she hurried inside her house. She'd settle that trail of thought, later, but first she decided she'd partake in tonight's dinner.

Mother was waiting for her, having already decked the circulair dining table. Izumi took her place at the table, one hand grasping the fork. She started mechanically shoveling her food inside and chewed. She chewed a lot as Mito explained how she'd made tonights dinner. Mito wished for Izumi to be able to fend for herself, as she was seventeen and would soon leave house. She probably expected that, with Gon gone, Izumi would soon follow him out of the house. But Izumi was lazy and she knew that there was no way she could be independant just yet.

Once she was done with her meal, she placed the cutlery down and batted the napkin against her general mouth area. She also washed her hands, the stickiness of fat uncomfortable for her. "Izumi," mother said, in a voice which was uncharacteristically serious and Izumi's senses automatically sharpened as she leaned somewhat in mother's direction. "Yes?" Izumi spoke, knowing that mother required evidence that Izumi was listening. "I was thinking. . . perhaps a young adult like yourself would require prospects for the future."

Izumi dried off her hands with the cloth towel, and asked cautiously, "Are you worried because I dropped out of school? But I can't do it again, 'cause being around all those younger children is embarrasing you know," but before she could finish her rambling, Mito behested her to halt her tone. Ashamed, Izumi closed her mouth and dropped back onto her chair.

"No, that isn't what I meant," Mother accertained and Izumi felt even more foolish for misinterprenting the other, though before she could apologise, mother said, "But perhaps there is an exam you can take. ." and then trailed of, confident Izumi would understand. The soft, sharp tone with which Izumi made her outburst was only to be expected,

"What? I can't take the hunter's exam!" she gritted out through fire engine red lips, "'Cause I'm very good at failing, but failing this exam'll mean certain death, not simply the ruining of my future like school was!" And wasn't that the truth.

An infurating smile was etched on Mito's lips and shining through her eyes like a neon sign, "Which just means that you will have added incentative," she cheerfully informed her daughter who let out the keening sound of a dying animal.

Nevertheless, she found herself upon the docks waiting for the ship to arrive to bring her at Zaban city. It was a nousiance. Izumi wished that Gon had never left so the thought wouldn't have entered Mito's mind. "You ain't my mother anymore," she swore at the woman standing just out of arms length so that even if Izumi attempted to punch the other said punch would miss it's mark. "'Cause it's obvious that you wish me dead!" And would have to exert effort to touch the other, which just wouldn't do.

"Please, Izumi. Don't worry," Mito chorteled, eyes intently focused, "Gon will be attending the exam as well, and will probably help you pass it." Izumi sighed, because she didn't have anything to say about that. She boarded the ship not an hour later, alternating between waving at her mother and shouting disparative remarks at her and astounding her fellow passengers with the amount of disrespect she held towards the authority figure in her life

. Izumi knew that she would probably come to rue it, but said rueing wouldn't commence until she was back, and anyway, if Izumi was able to come back, then she'd would probably have gained enough independance to find her own place and hide from Mito, as that would mean she'd passed the Hunter's exam.

There was one, joined cabin below the deck which was used for any Hunter hopefuls. There was no separation of genders, as there were no other rooms except for the captain's cabin. Izumi found herself a place to sleep in the hangmat, though she didn't use it. She knew that there was still, offically, two days left for her to find the location where the Hunter's exam was being held.

Yesterday Gon had left, so she was sure she still had plenty of time left. He wanted to be a Hunter badly and his instincts where often right, so it was probable that if he had left so little time for finding the location, then there wasn't a reason for her to worry. Of course, it was all iffy.

"Hey girlie," a scrawny man said from over at a vantage point against the wall, "You should just quiet. People like you won't make it in the Hunter's exam." Izumi idly wondered for what reason the man seemed to want to incense her, or even communicate with her. She didn't really get bothered with what he said, but knew enough about these sorts of people that ignoring him would only cause him to attempt to gain her attention in an even irritating manner.

"I see, thank you for the information," she told him as she relaxed further into her hang mat. She didn't have a penny on her, nevertheless a book. What should she do to pass time? The man snorted once, derisively, at her noncommitable comment and then started to harass someone else. Izumi decided she'd swing on the hang mat, but even that got old fast. Just as she was beginning to think that she should do something vaguelly dangerous just so the boredom would disappear, the ship shook from tip to tail.

Like a mini earthquack, except that they weren't on the ground and as such, the ship's condition wasn't to blame for it. A few of her fellow passagers lost their balance, falling on their faces or their companions, creating a domino effect. As amusing as it was watching, Izumi worried as to for what reason the walls of the cabin seemed to be creaking. It was almost like a collision with something had occured. And so, she nonchalantly walked through the chaos unto the deck, remaining fully balanced all the while.

Outside, there was also chaos. Though the chaos had more to do with the pirate ship which had apparently forced the ship to stop. The pirates where beginning to board and the crew men where in a tizzle arming themselves and waiting for the pirates to fully arrrive on the deck. Soon, there was pandemonium and general chaos from all directions and Izumi was fighting for her life, armed only with her fists and wits.

Strangely enough, for Hunter hopefuls, the rest of her fellow passagers where panicking like chickens with their heads cut of. They were just as useful as well, forcing the crew to risk their lives to rescue the idiots who'd left the general safety of the barracaded cabin to run on the deck. Izumi, meanwhile, was standing back to back with the female captain of the ship after she'd pinpointed the woman to be in danger of being stabbed in the back.

Despite said captain's lack of perception, she seemed to be doing all right against the pirates. Better than alright, even. So why was it that she was unaware of the area not in sight of her eyes when she was that good? Something was wrong, Izumi decided, something just wasn't right with this whole situation. Nevertheless, Izumi was a bit too busy ensuring her continued survival to spend too much time pondering about why the whole scenario didn't ring true.

Hours later, many dead passengers and only a few dead pirates, the combined efforts of the crew and Izumi had forced the pirates back on their ship and eastward, away from the partially ransacked ship. The captain slapped Izumi on her shoulder, almost dislocating it with her rather fearsome strength. "Good job," she said, with a fanged smile. She licked the blood of her fingers afterwards, which caused Izumi to screw up her face. How unhygenic.

The bodies where carted over the edge of the ship, into the shark invested waters where they were then subsequently eaten. Izumi grimaced at that as well, before she took a step towards the cabin which was still barracaded to tell all those inside the good news. Izumi's outstretched arm, hand resting on her torso, stopped her.

"Nah. Don't open it just yet," the captain advised with an knowledgable gleam, "If you do, you'll be automatically disqualified. D'ya want that?"

Izumi was now stumped, well and truly bewildered, even as the gears of her mind threw the tangent she'd been on earlier, about nothing making sense, to the forefront. "Wait," she asked carefully, looking at the captain's face for any visual cues, "Why do you have the authority to disqualify me?" after which the captain laughed, and clapped her hands together in a slow clap.

"Well done," she said, "For being perceptive enough ta catch that." The woman proceeded to explain that the pirates had been a test before people where allowed to even find the location of the real Hunter's examination, to weed out those that trully aren't strong enough even for the prelimetories. "You passed, by the way," she commented offhandedly with another harsh slap, this time directed at her back.

The captain further explained that the failed candidates would be kept inside the cabin even when the ship would ancor at Dolle harbour. The captain, she, would then proceed to lead those that passed towards the wanted location, while she handed the reigns of the ship over to a crew member, who'd safely return the failed candidates back where they came from.

"By the way, what's your name?" the captain wondered, as she strolled over to the fence and watched the sea foam that formed at the exterior of the ship. "Izumi," Izumi said as she joined her, "Just Izumi. Yours?" The captain gave her another fanged grin, "Tsomesuki Lacarth."

Izumi's answer to that was to lift an eyebrow, "Huh. Sounds like Chome, that criminal who's been in the news lately." The fanged smile just grew though it's owner stayed quiet, neither refuting her claims or agreeing to them.

The ship docked at Dolle harbour three hours later, and both woman spilled out onto the pavement. For a second, Izumi walked as if she where drunk before she got the hang of it and got rid of her sea legs. Tsomesuki had no such problems. The captain led her towards a park near the coatline, where there was a map of the city. She trailed her hand over the, You-are- here dot, before she coasted her slender fingers over the map, starting from said dot.

Izumi paid attention to what streets, side roads and carparks her fingers touched. Eventually, she turned towards Izumi and placed her definite thumb onto an abandoned mall. "That's where you'll have ta go," she cheerfully said and then just stood there.

Bewildered, but feeling awefully like she'd just been tricked, Izumi asked her one little thing, "You're not going to lead me there. Are you?" And was met with that same grin. Izumi gritted her teeth, and ran a calming hand through her short hair. "For what reason?" she asked, because something, intuition most likely, told Izumi that the woman wasn't doing this because she'd been bid too, but for reasons of her own.


End file.
